Crispy Air Fryer Tenders (Printable)

Juicy chicken strips with a crunchy golden crust, cooked quickly for a tasty family-friendly dish.

# What goes in:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.1 lbs chicken tenders or boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

→ Breading

02 - 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
03 - 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
04 - 1 tsp garlic powder
05 - 1 tsp paprika
06 - 1/2 tsp salt
07 - 1/2 tsp black pepper

→ Wet Mixture

08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 1 tbsp water

→ Cooking

10 - Olive oil spray

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 3 minutes to ensure proper cooking temperature.
02 - In a shallow bowl, combine flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper until evenly mixed.
03 - In a second bowl, whisk the eggs with water until well combined.
04 - Place panko breadcrumbs in a third shallow bowl for easy access during coating process.
05 - Pat chicken tenders dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture for better breading adhesion.
06 - Dredge each chicken strip in the flour mixture, shaking off excess to prevent clumping.
07 - Dip floured chicken strips into the egg wash, allowing excess to drip off.
08 - Press chicken strips into panko breadcrumbs, coating thoroughly and pressing gently to adhere.
09 - Place breaded chicken tenders in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Lightly spray with olive oil.
10 - Cook for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through and spraying again with oil, until crispy and internal temperature reaches 165°F.
11 - Serve hot with your choice of dipping sauce such as honey mustard, ranch, or barbecue sauce.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The air fryer creates this impossibly crispy exterior without all the oil from deep frying
  • Set up the breading station once, and you have got dinner handled for days
  • My picky eater actually asked for seconds, which never happens with chicken
02 -
  • Crowding the air fryer basket creates steam instead of crispiness, so cook in batches if needed
  • I learned the hard way that skipping the oil spray results in pale, soft breading no matter how long you cook them
  • The internal temperature matters way more than the timer, so grab that meat thermometer
03 -
  • Letting the breaded chicken sit in the fridge for about fifteen minutes before air frying helps the coating set better
  • Adding a half teaspoon of cayenne to the flour mixture gives these just enough heat without scaring off the kids

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